Chapter 1 of the Hunters
by Libby Howell
Summary: This story is about six brothers that hunt down the things that go bump in the night and their struggles. It has violence, death, and destruction, as well as some steamy scenes. I hope to get all the reviews I possible can. This was fun. Should i continue


Chapter 1: We Have a Job to Do

Isaac Iverson read on, in Latin, from the book he held in his hand, The Bible. The girl in the devil's trap writhed in the chair he had her bound in and spat out threats to him. When he finished the words, she threw back her head and screamed, as the demon left her body and poured out of her open mouth. The black cloud left and rushed back to where he had sent it, Hell.

Unfortunately, the girl, a pretty blond that the demon had wisely chosen to possess in attempt to woo guys into her trap, would die. Isaac knew it, but he exorcised the demon from her anyway, to get her out of her misery. It had to be worse than being dead, especially since the girl had no control of her own body. He knew he had to do it though, or more people would die.

The girl slumped foreword in the chair, blood slowly pouring from her mouth. She had probably suffered internal damage. She would have had to in order to be bleeding from the mouth. He propped her head up and got her some water. She choked on the water he had offered, and blood started to stream from her nose, too. She was struggling for every breath she took. He knew it was hard for her, so he tried to comfort and console her the best he could.

"I was…awake…through all…of it," she rasped.

"Just try not to talk," Isaac told her, "Your breath will come easier if you don't try to talk."

"I watched…my-myself…kill all…th-those people."

He reached for a towel and wiped the blood from her nose. He looked down at her helplessly. There was nothing he could do to ease her pain, except, maybe, put her out of her misery.

"I…k-killed…seven people."

"You didn't," Isaac said, "The demon did. It just used your body to lure them all in."

She tried to laugh, but blood spilled faster from her mouth, and she began to choke. He placed his big hand behind her head and tried to help lift her up a little, so she wouldn't choke as bad.

"P-please…tell…Jordan…I…love…"

"Jordan? Is that your boyfriend? I'll tell him. I promise, I'll tell him you love him. Okay?"

She nodded, her eyes beginning to close. He knew she was fading fast and would soon be gone. He held her as she slowly slipped away. Then, he gave her a proper burial. After that, he made a call from his cell phone. He had checked in her cell phone and found the number for a Jordan Forrester. He called and told him about his girlfriend, whom he found out was named Cassidy Klein. Then he made another call.

"Gavin?" he asked, when he heard someone pick up.

"Yeah. Who's this?" came his brother's voice.

"Isaac. Look, it's done. The demon's gone."

"Back to Hell?"

"Yeah, but the girl was shot in the process. I lost her."

"It's a shame. She was really pretty. What now?"

"I'm going home. Back to Jo. I just don't feel right leaving her alone, especially for three days. How are the rest of the guys?"

"Good. Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure. To check up, you know?"

"Yeah. Well, I better tell the guys you got it then."

"Alright. Talk to you later. Oh, and Gavin, tell mom and dad hi for me too, will you?"

"Sure. Later punk."

Then his brother hung up. Isaac made another call.

"Hey babe," he said when he heard his girlfriend's voice.

"Hey. Where are you?" she asked urgently.

"I'm a couple hours away, but if I drive fast enough, I can make it there in an hour or so."

"God, it's great to hear from you again. You didn't call me yesterday, and it worried me. But I didn't call you because I figured you would call me as soon as you could."

"Which is exactly what I'm doing now. How are you?"

"I could ask you the same question, you know? I'm fine, though."

"Good. Me too. Or at least, I will be, once I get back to you."

"Is it killing you being so far away from me?" she teased.

"Yeah it is," he answered, honestly, "Look, I'll see you as soon as I get home. Okay?"

"Okay, babe. I'll be waiting for you."

"Ooo, I like the sound of that. What are you wearing? Wait. Don't answer that. The answer may just kill me. I'll see you when I get home okay, babe?"

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too, Jo."

He let her hang up first. Then, he got into his old Chevy.

"Well, boys, Isaac got it. The girl died, but he managed to send the demon back to Hell."

The boys were hanging out at the beach. Jasper had on a pair of sunglasses. He had a crowd of girls around him, as usual. Sam was sitting by the edge of the water, toes in the sand, with his girlfriend of two months, Becca, by his side, holding his hand. Caleb was standing out in the water. He had been showing off for a group of girls just seconds before Gavin started speaking. And Timothy lay on his back in the sand, taking in the sun, as he talked to his girlfriend, Bella. However, once Gavin started to speak, all conversation quickly died, and his girlfriend, Letti, dropped his hand and examined his face intently to see what he was going to talk about.

When the guys heard the news from Gavin, they all sighed in relief. That demon had been causing them trouble for three years. It had been in the area from the time Timothy had turned fifteen. The town of San Antonio, Texas wouldn't be having any more troubles with that demon anymore.

_But,_ Gavin wondered,_ how many more are out there?_

Letti took his hand again and leaned up to kiss the side of his jaw. She was clearly concerned about him, and he knew it. He turned and kissed her on the lips.

"I'm okay, babe," he told her, "Honestly. It's great to get that out of the way."

"How many years have you hunted that one?" she asked him.

"Three. It came to San Antonio in July, when Timothy turned fifteen."

The look on her face told him that his answer hadn't satisfied her, so he added something else.

"I'm fine, Letti. I swear. Isaac will be back in town in a couple of hours, too. I'm sure he's headed for Jo's, though. He really missed her, and he hated leaving her alone for that long. He'd been away for three days, you know? I couldn't bear to leave you alone for that long. Not my little daredevil."

"I thought I was your little vixen," she said, giving a fake pout.

"Well, that too. What do you say we go sneak away for an hour or so?"

"Ooo sounds enticing, but I think the guys would notice."

"Damn," he said, giving her a long glance.

She gave him an inviting hip gesture, which made his blood run hot.

She had curly, auburn hair that reached half way down her back. Her eyes were a soft brown color, and her soft skin was of a medium tone. She worked as a bartender part-time, and he always stopped by to see her. Every once in a while, he'd order food or a drink, but he usually stopped by to chat. He saved the drinks for when they were alone together. She also attended college to eventually become a mechanic, a muscle car mechanic to be exact. She had always been a total tomboy, and she had even helped him out with his black, '67 Chevy Impala a few times. She sure knew how to take care of herself, too.

"You know, you being older than me was always such a turn on," she confessed.

"Only by four years. You're twenty-nine, right?" he teased.

"No, smart one, I'm twenty-four."

"And I'm twenty-eight. So, yeah, that makes us four years apart."

"Aw, what a shame. I thought you were eighteen. Guess I'll have to find someone new."

He ended her teasing with another kiss. Then, he pulled her into his arms and looked around them.

Jasper was trying to teach the girls how to go body surfing, but eight out of the ten, still didn't get it. He had straight, shoulder-length, light brown hair, and hazel eyes, which were accented by his nicely tanned skin. He was the darkest and most muscular of the six boys. All the girls always swarmed around him. He was the most dirty-minded person Gavin had ever met. He could take almost anything wrong, and usually did, too. His comebacks were always witty. He was a party animal, and most of the girls knew it. He also had an eight pack, due to all the years of working out and playing sports; football was his favorite. The closest person he resembled was Taylor Kitsch. At the moment, he was tossing his sunglasses to Sam and diving into the water to demonstrate his technique.

Sam caught the sunglasses and leaned back in to kiss Becca's lips again. He had semi-spiked, black hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was of a medium tone, and he had a nice six pack on him. He was the rational and reasonable one in the family, along with Isaac, but he was also capable of being a party animal and at times, just plain wild. He also had issues with authority. He hated and despised it. He could be quite rebellious at times, but he always looked out for those he cared about. He also knew how to treat the ladies, and he was a hard worker at everything he did.

His girlfriend had long, straight, bright orange hair, and bright green eyes. Her skin was a medium colored tone. She was very outspoken, but pretty smart. She was attending college in hopes of becoming a wildlife conservationist. She loved to write. She had guts though, and she always stood up for what she believed in and those she was close to. The girl also worked very hard to get what she wanted in life. She had more guy friends than friends that were girls, twice as many, actually. He guessed that's why she'd been so cozy hanging out with Sam and his brothers. She had once said that she felt more comfortable with guys than she did with girls.

Caleb was going for a swim with a group of girls. He had kind of long, shaggy, brown hair and gray eyes, and his skin was only of a medium tone. He was bullheaded and stubborn, and he loved to do things just to prove people wrong. As a matter of fact, it was one of his favorite past times. He wasn't exactly the most rational or reasonable of people, and had a tendency to beat the crap out of people without asking questions. Especially if they had messed with people he was close to. He was usually shy around girls, but today, he wasn't. Maybe he was finally getting some guts.

Timothy had an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, and they were looking out at the waves. All the girls said he looked like a young Tom Cruise. And he actually did, especially with his dark brown eyes and medium toned skin. However, his black hair was kind of long and shaggy. He was always having girls flirt with him, but he was really devoted to Bella. He was the brains of the family, and always thought things through before doing them. He was really rational and reasonable, which he had gotten from their mother. He helped keep the others in check and always looked out for them, even if they weren't looking out for themselves. He was also very athletic, like Jasper. He knew how to treat a girl right, and would do anything for the people he loved.

His girlfriend, Bella, looked like Laura Ramsey. She had mid-back length, curly, dishwater blond hair, startling blue eyes, and medium toned skin. She was beautiful and wild, all at the same time. She really loved Tim and would do anything for him or any of those she was close to. She also knew how to take care of herself, and she looked out for others who she was close to. The girl loved hanging out with Tim and his family, and especially enjoyed going clubbing with them (even though they had to sneak her in, because she was only seventeen). She liked to swim, play soccer or football, and go horseback riding. She also loved animals and was attending college to become an animal specialist who specialized in big cats and large canines.

Gavin was pretty different from all of them. He had semi-spiked, light brown hair, bright green eyes veiled by long lashes, and medium toned skin. He liked to wear a little stubble on his face, which usually drove the girls wild. He always stood up for the rest of his family, as well as himself, and protected them. He would do so even if it meant the end of his life, which is also how he felt about Letti (which was surprising for everyone else, who had no idea he could even have a long term relationship). He was constantly looking out for his family's best interests. He knew how to take care of himself and others. He was quick-witted and bold, and, as some people would say, he could think on his feet. Gavin was also tough-both mentally and physically, but he kept things bottled up inside. However, he was humorous and funny, traits all six of the boys had inherited from their parents. He loved hunting the supernatural creatures, and had been doing so since he was ten years old. His Uncle Vince had gotten him into it, after he lost a close friend to a pack of werewolves.

"Hey boys, what do you say to cooking up some grub?" Gavin asked them.

They all nodded in agreement. Letti went back to Gavin's car with him to grab the food. However, once they got there, she grabbed him and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss lasted a long time, and when she pulled back, he could still taste her mouth and her tongue on his. She just smiled at him.

"One of these days," he said, opening the trunk, "I'll teach you a much needed lesson about teasing a man."

"Ooo sounds interesting. When do I get my free lesson, professor?" she asked.

She helped him grab the food out of the trunk, and they returned to the group, which had now gathered around a pit full of sticks. Jasper was lighting it with a lighter, as Sam finished pouring a little gasoline on it.

"I didn't know you smoked," a blond girl from Jasper's group said.

"I don't," he replied, "I just keep it on hand in case I need it for something."

Then he thought to himself, _I wonder what she'd think of the flamethrower we torched some of those Wendigos with?_

They roasted hot dogs and made smores. Gavin and Letti passed the chips and sodas around. Sam scooted closer to Becca and put an arm around her after he had finished his food.

"Want anything else?" he asked her.

"No I'm okay," she said, "Actually, I'm stuffed."

"Yeah? Like a turkey?" Sam teased.

They both laughed, and she snuggled up closer to him. The sun was going down, and it cast an eerie, red glare on the water. Bella took out a camera and snapped a picture of the sunset, once the sun had made it half way down. They stayed until eight o' clock, before they left. They each got in their cars, the girls getting in with their boyfriends, and headed home.

Isaac quietly opened the door and snuck in. He set his duffle bag down, locked the door, and headed straight for the bedroom. There he found Jo waiting for him on the bed, wearing only a pair of purple, silk panties and a matching bra. She grinned at him, and he growled as he went to her. He took her in his arms and began to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She threw her head back as he kissed her neck, her long, curly, dark brown hair flowing down her back. She let her hands roam over his back. He left his mark on her neck, and he heard her muffled reply. He let his lips find hers again and kissed her with all the passion he had in him. She returned his kiss in the same way. Then, she climbed off the bed and bent down and took off his Nikes and black ankle socks.

"God, I missed you so much," she said breathily.

"I never want to leave you again," he told her, "It was Hell."

Then, she went for his shirt. She pulled it over his head, and he reached for the buckle of his belt. She put her hands over his, and he looked up at her.

"Let me," she told him.

He obliged, and in no time, she had pulled his belt through all of the belt loops of his jeans. He stood up, and she followed him.

"Why is it you get to have all the fun? It's not fair," he told her, giving her a puppy dog face.

She examined his face. God, she loved him with every fiber of her being, and now she could see why. He had an amazing six pack, and an incredible tan. His features were completely aquiline, and he was always freshly shaven. He had beautiful hazel eyes, and his brown hair was kind of long and shaggy, plus he had fairly long sideburns. He was six foot four and didn't have a gram of fat on him. He was strictly muscle. His hands were big- like the rest of him- but extremely gentle with her and even protective at times. And he looked like Jared Padalecki when he was in Supernatural (her favorite show)!

On top of all of that, he was the tallest one in his family, by two inches (Sam was six foot two, Gavin was six one, and Jasper was six foot even). He was always reasonable and rational, and he always thought things through before he went through with them. He looked out for others and constantly did what was best for his family and for her. Isaac was stable minded and took his time thinking things through. He also cared about others and listened to what they had to say. He was funny and humorous too, and he was very devoted to those he was close to. He would do anything for them.

She unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped them. Then, she helped him take them off. She wanted to do as much as she could for him tonight. She had missed him so much. Three nights of him not being there, not kissing her, not touching her, not holding her. It had been torture! She couldn't stand it anymore. And she knew he felt the same way. But, she also knew that he had had to do what he did. No one else needed to suffer through the tortures of that demon, and she knew it. But she had missed him so much. And now that he was back, she wanted to savor every minute she had with him.

He leaned in and kissed her, pulled her close to him. She could feel him against her, his naked chest and stomach against her exposed skin. She felt like jell-o at his touch. He had her where he wanted her, and she knew it. Now he could do whatever he wanted with her. She got on her knees and slid his boxers down and slipped them off of him. He was free now, and she could tell he was ready. What was the point in making him wait? She could always do what she'd had in mind later.

She stood back up and reached for her bra. She slid it over her head and could feel her skin exposed to the open air. She was a little chilly, and she was sure he could tell. He reached for her, to pull her close to him and warm her up, but she protested, so he let her be. Then, she slid her panties down her thighs and snaked out of them. She gave him a long, once-over look, and she could sense his eyes on her too, before she jumped into the bed. He followed her, and, after she got situated, he straddled her.

Isaac looked down into her dark brown eyes, and she smiled up at him. Her long, curly, dark brown hair accented her medium toned skin. She looked like an angel, but she could be far from one at times of loving on him. She was a wildcat, and he loved every minute of it. She was smart and humorous. She was tough-both mentally and physically- as well as being stubborn and bullheaded. She knew how to take care of herself and always stood up for things she believed in or people she cared about. She was always looking out for him too, and she enjoyed hanging out with him and their friends or his family. And, she was attending college to become a marine biologist-, which she had a strong passion for-, and he supported her in it.

Tonight he wanted to spend with her though- and only her. He wanted to satisfy her every desire. He eased into her, and she threw her head back before letting out a deep, husky moan and wrapping her legs around him. He got a good grip on her and slipped into that natural rhythm that they had become well accustomed to. He went for about two hours before he could feel her start to tense up. Then, he could feel her tense around him, and soon her whole body tightened. She had reached her climax, and her body was racked with shockwave after shockwave of pure pleasure. About ten thrusts after that, he reached his own release as he exploded inside her, and he groaned her name. They went three more rounds after that. When they had finished, he rolled off of her and pulled her into his arms.

He lay there holding her, both of them trembling and sweating. She curled up to his side and began to run her hand up and down his chest. He laid still and watched her for a while, smiling. She looked up and saw his face. She grinned back at him.

"You know, that was probably the longest we've ever gone," she said, contentedly.

"Yep. And God it was good," he replied.

"Mmm-hmm."

"I love you, Jo."

"I love you too, Isaac."

He leaned down and stole a long, lingering, delicious kiss from her. Soon, they both fell asleep, wrapped up in the sheets and in each other.

Gavin and Letti had had their own tumble in her bed, after having drunk a little vodka. They both got dressed, giving each other longing looks. They still wanted each other, even though they could barely move, because their muscles were so cramped. He gave her everything he had, and vice versa, every time they had at each other. She brushed her hair, and he finished tying his docks. Then, he went to her and kissed her, before they went for their nightly drive out in the country. She played nothing but classic rock music. It was their favorite, especially ACDC.

When they got home, they stripped back down and crawled back into bed to get some much needed sleep.

Sam had meant to just drop Becca off at her house, after they had left the beach, but she invited him in for a movie. He fell asleep with her in his arms on her couch. Now, he woke up and told her groggily that he had to go home. She walked him to the door and gave him a kiss, before he waved and told her bye. She went back to the couch and lay back down. He drove back to his parents' house and walked into the family room, where his father was still watching TV. Right now there was a horror flick on. His dad loved those. His mom was already in bed, he presumed.

He went over and placed his hands on his father's shoulders, scaring the living bejesus out of him.

"Sorry, dad," he apologized, "You know, you really shouldn't be watching this many horror films, especially so late."

"Oh and where were you? Out with the lovely Becca, were we?" his father asked.

"Yeah, I fell asleep on her couch. Honestly. We were watching a movie at her house, and we both fell asleep."

"I bet you were."

"No, seriously."

"I believe you."

Rob Iverson looked like a replica of Johnny Depp. He had shoulder-length, brunette hair, brown eyes, and tan skin, just like him, and he even wore a mustache, go-tee, and very small beard. He was very reasonable and rational about pretty much everything, and he knew how to take care of himself and his family. He was always looking out for his family, and he would do anything in the world for them. He also loved his wife with all of his heart. He was tough-mentally and physically- and humorous as well as funny (both traits he had passed down to all of his boys) like their mother. He raised the boys to believe that you could do anything you set your mind to and was always a loving husband and father. He was also interested in anything supernatural. Boy would he be eager to go hunting with the boys if he knew those things were real!

"Well, I'm going to take a shower and call it a night," Sam said.

"Okay. I'll make sure to flush the toilet down here as soon as I hear water running up there," his father teased.

"Nice one, dad."

"You think? I just made it up."

Sam went upstairs and grabbed a fresh pair of boxers before hopping into the shower. He lathered up real good and washed up before he washed his hair. When he got out of the shower, he felt completely clean and refreshed.

"Minty fresh," he said to himself as he pulled open the door and stepped out of the bathroom.

He walked down the hall and to his room, where he tossed his dirty clothes into a laundry basket on the floor. Then, he walked back down the hall to his parents' room. His mother, who was reading, looked up from her book and smiled at him.

"How was your night, sweetie?" she asked him.

"Pretty good. We went to the beach and met up with Gavin and Letti. Isaac was headed back to Jo. He'll call in the morning. Guarantee it. Anyway, so we hung out and ate there. Then, I went to drop Becca off, but she invited me in to watch a movie. We fell asleep on her couch, I swear."

"Wow, sounds like you've had a pretty exciting day, Sam."

"Yep."

Dana Iverson had passed her black hair down to Sam, except hers reached a little below her shoulders and was curly. She had blue eyes and her skin was of a medium tone. She was funny and humorous, like her husband, and those were traits they had passed down to all of their sons. She remained calm and collected through almost any circumstance, and was that way naturally. She was mentally tough, bullheaded, and stubborn. She usually had witty comebacks and knew how to take care of herself and her family. Dana was also bold and was always looking for ways to embarrass people or pull pranks on them. Her love of classic rock music had also been passed down to all six of her boys. The love she had for her husband and her sons was unparallel to anything, and she would do anything for them. She loved them with all of her heart and always would.

"Just so you don't do what your father and I did," she told Sam, "Don't get me wrong, you boys are the best things that have ever happened to me and I wouldn't trade any of you for anything, but we should have waited. I was only sixteen when I had Gavin, you know?"

"Mom, please," he said, embarrassed.

"Becca's a great girl."

"I know mom, and we haven't done anything yet. I've only dated her for two months, you know? Besides, I am twenty-two. I'm an adult."

"I know baby, but poppin' one out every two years is pretty strenuous on a girl, you know? I was twenty-six when Timothy was born."

"Mom," he protested, standing with his hands rested on the doorway.

"Anyway, enough talk of having kids. It's late, and I'm going to turn in. Night, babe."

He walked over to her and kissed her cheek.

"Night, Mom," he said, leaving the room and heading down the hallway back to his room.

There he unmade his bed and flopped down on it to fall into a deep sleep.

Timothy had dropped Bella off, after they left the beach, and returned home. He gave her a call whenever he got home, to let her know he had gotten home safely. Then, he had hung up and watched a couple movies: The Covenant, one of his personal favorites (all the other guys liked it too, so they watched it a lot), and The Fast and the Furious. He would have watched Van Helsing, but he had watched it the night before. He turned off the TV and told Sam good night when he saw him walking down the hall. Then, he turned off his light and turned in for the night.

Caleb had stayed up talking on the phone to a couple of the girls he'd got numbers from at the beach that day. One's name was Penny, and the other's name was Lindy. When he got bored with talking on the phone, he hung up and watched The Salem Witch Trials. He watched both of them before he decided he would need some sleep for tomorrow. Then, he lay down and attempted to get some sleep. Two hours later, he succeeded.

Jasper had been listening to the Rob Zombie CD he had in, as soon as he got off the phone with the fourth girl he had called from the beach that day. They sure were some pretty good prospects! One had been a blond with a real nice tan. Another had black hair and emerald green eyes. The third and fourth had been brunettes with brown eyes and long lashes. He knew he was probably keeping people up, so he turned down the music at two o'clock and opened up his horror novel: Sleepy Hollow (not the crappy cartoon version but the one based after the movie with Johnny Depp in it). He read until about four. Then, when he finally decided that he had better get some sleep, he turned off his music, turned out his light and fell asleep half an hour after lying down.

Somewhere off an old, abandoned road, a group of four people wearing leather jackets stopped the car. The guy with shoulder-length, straight, black hair and blue eyes got out of the driver's side of the car. He had pale skin, and the moonlight made it look even lighter. He walked to the front of the car. He popped open the hood of the '97 Ford Mustang and looked down at the engine. He wondered if the phony, my-car-broke-down-please-help-me gimmick would work tonight.

He walked back to the passenger side window and leaned in to talk to the girl that was riding shotgun. She had deep red, long, flowing, curls pouring down her back. Her eyes were an emerald color, and her skin was a pale color, like his. She reached out and took his hand, before he leaned down and stole a kiss from her. She looked at him with a loving gaze after he pulled back.

"Do you think anyone will fall for it tonight?" he asked her.

"I don't know, babe, but I sure hope so. I'm so hungry," she replied.

"I know, Harmony. We could all use the food. How are you doing on the air?"

"No signs of bloodlust yet, but I'll let you know if I get any."

"Okay. Any of you guys?" he asked, looking into the back seat of the car.

The other two, both guys- one with black, shaggy hair and gray eyes, and the other with blond hair and gray eyes- shook their head. Both had pale skin, like the others.

"Not yet," the blond said.

"You'll know when I get a sign," the other one said.

"I hear a car," the girl said.

"Don't look at the lights," the blond one said.  
"We know, stupid," the black haired, blue-eyed one said.

He went back up to the front of the car and poked his head under the hood again, looking like he was checking for a problem with the engine or something.

"Be careful, Cory," the girl said.

"I will be, Harmony. I've done this before you know. I know what I'm doing, I promise."

"Are you sure about that?" the blond asked.

"Shut up, Angel!" Cory spat.

"Let me know if you need my help," the other one said.

"Will do, Crow."

The car drove right on past them.

"Damn!" Cory said.

"Relax, babe, there will be another one," Harmony told him, trying to calm him.

He went back over to her door let his hands dangle in the car, while he looked at her.

"What would I do without you?" he asked.

"Probably be on your ass, dead somewhere. I keep you sane, you know?"

"I know," he replied, kissing her lips.

"Hey! No mushy, gushy stuff okay. If I wanted that crap I could have stayed at the nest and watched a soap or something," Angel stated.

"We may have to try the dead-man-in-the-road prank again," Crow put in.

"I'll let you know if we have to switch our methods. Do you want to be the 'dead man in the road'?" Cory asked him.

"You know I do," Crow replied.

"You sure are a weird one, you know?"

"Yeah. What did you guys think of me when I first showed up, asking for a clan to stay with?"

"Where the hell did he come from?!" Cory stated.

"Well, I usually just travel around by myself, finding food where I can. But, I decided to stay a little while this time, since you guys were so interesting and welcoming."

"Well, Christopher always said 'Be nice to any guests of our kind that we receive.' So, we did."

Another car approached them. They looked away from the lights. The car slowed down and came to a stop. A man about the age of thirty poked his head out of the car window. He looked closely, examining the situation. He had a woman in the car with him, probably his wife.

"Having car problems?" the man asked.

"Yeah," Cory said, "Do you have any jumper cables or anything?"

"No, but maybe I could take a look at it for you. I'm a certified mechanic."

"Boy are we in luck," Cory replied, looking at the others in the car.

"Thank you so much," Harmony told the man, "We were just on our way to a party."

"Oh really? What kind of a party?" the man asked, "We love parties."

"That's great," Cory said, "Tell you what, if you can get our car working again, we'll lead you to the party. How's that sound?"

"Sounds great to me. How 'bout you hone?" the man asked, looking back to his wife.

"Umm-hmm," she replied, nodding nervously.

"Okay. Well then, let's take a look under the hood, shall we?"

"Be my guest," Cory said.  
The man studied the engine and all the parts surrounding it real good. Then, he tightened something.

"Well, there's your problem. Your spark plug was loose. Looks like your all set to go. Jump in and let's see if it runs okay for ya'."

Cory did what the man told him, and, sure enough, the car ran smoothly.

"Boy listen to that baby purr," the man commented, "That's a real nice car you got there."

"I know. I wouldn't trade it for anything," Cory told him.

Then, as the man was on his way back to his car, Cory jumped him. Angel and Crow hopped out of the car and went after his wife. Harmony walked to Cory's side. Before long, they had their fangs buried into the soft flesh of the humans, as their screams pierced through the night. The tangy, coppery taste of fresh blood filled their mouths. They licked their lips, savoring the taste and finding it most pleasing. When they had finished, they drug the body's to the trunk of the man's car and through them in, before they drove it out to a lake, where they took a heavy rock and placed on the gas pedal. Then, they watched, as the car slowly crept into the dark waters and vanished completely.

By the time they returned to their car, a new car had pulled up beside them, this one containing a full load of kids in their late teens or early twenties. All they had to do was tell them that they were headed to a party, and the kids eagerly followed them out to an old barn out in the middle of nowhere. They led the kids inside and announced their presence to the other clan members.

A man who appeared to be in his late twenties approached the group. His hair was a tawny color and his eyes were steel gray. His skin was tan and his shirt revealed him to be quite muscular. At the moment, his hair was pulled back into a short, but loose ponytail. He was clean-shaven and his features were masculine in every way. He reminded the average person of a young Brad Pitt. He looked tough, like he'd been in many fights and had seen his share of blood and bruises. He also looked mean, like he could beat the shit out of a person and not even think twice about it. But, the women always found it hard to resist him.

"We brought some partiers, Christopher," Cory told him.

"Good. We could use some livening up in this place," the man told him.

"We thought you'd think so. So we brought along some eager ones."

The four girls looked at him eagerly, while the three guys looked around a little uneasily.

"Take them around to meet the others," Christopher told Harmony, winking.

She led them around, introducing them to all four of the other clan members. When they were out of hearing distance from the others, Christopher began to talk to the others.

"We need more clan members, and all of you know that. There are more hunters out there now, and we've already lost nine clan members. We need to bulk up our clan, so the newborns will really help. We need to train them to the best of their abilities, so they can help us with the hunters when the time comes. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. 'We need more clan members, so we can ensure our survival.' You know we can't have children- we're barren- so we need to multiply the only way we know how, by blooding more valuable prospects."

They all nodded to him. He was the clan leader, and they had to do what he said, or he could kill them if he chose to do so. They didn't think he would-not in a time when there were so many hunters lurking around-but he would at least deal them great pain. They had seen many clan members punished before (and some of them had even experienced it themselves) and it wasn't pleasant. But, they also knew Christopher could be compassionate and caring. He had two children of his own-which he and his mate, Renada, had had before they'd been changed-that he'd returned to and blooded once they'd become of age, against everything he'd been told could happen to him if he ever changed someone (it went against all of their rules-although, they were sure none of the vamps out there were objecting to blooding people now that all the clans were being down-sized, due to the hunters). From there, he'd built up his own clan and now he needed the help of the clan members to help build up the clan so it would be larger and stronger. All they could do was oblige and help out the best they could.

"Let them get accustomed to all of you. Be nice and try not to scare them. Then, let them choose whom they get close to. When they have finally made their decision on which they are close to, give them the irresistible offer of a lifetime. Then, we blood them. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads. He knew the other clan members had heard him, since their sense of hearing-as well as sight (especially in darkness), smell, feel, taste, and they were very intelligent creatures by nature- were enhanced by about three times the normal human's senses. He looked around and saw the other clan members nodding.

"I have no lack in faith that the girls will come to me or Cory, or maybe Renada, since she's like a mother figure, and the guys will go to the younger looking girls in the clan. From there, once you have fully blooded them, they can choose whom they would like as a mate. Angel, Crow, and Vivian don't have mates, but still, you must let them choose. You must also remember that once changed, they will be stronger than us for their first year and their senses will be stronger than ours. So yes, they could beat the shit out of you if they wanted to."

The group scattered to get acquainted with the soon to be newborns of the clan.

Eight thirty, that morning, Isaac and Jo shuffled in the kitchen door of his parents' house. Sam was at the stove, fixing scrambled eggs in a skillet. Caleb was helping their mother fix bacon, while she talked on the phone with one of her friends. Jasper was cooking the sausage over another burner, and, every now and then, he'd purposely bump Sam's arm, causing Sam to make threats in his direction. Tim was at the counter, pouring drinks, and their father was sitting at the table, reading the paper.

Isaac went over and pulled a stool- at the counter- out for Jo and then, plopped down on one next to her.

"Gavin's not here yet?" he asked Sam.

"Nope," Sam answered.

"When has he ever been here before nine?" their mother asked, taking the phone from her ear and placing a hand over the end, before returning to her conversation.

"Well, we'll just have to start fixing breakfast earlier," Tim commented.

"Yeah. Right," Jasper said.

"Coming from a person who usually doesn't get up until someone wakes him up," Caleb cut in.

"Hey shut up!" Jasper told him, bumping Sam's arm again.

"You bump my arm one more time, you cock-sucker, and I'll kick your ass!" Sam told him.

"Sam!" their mother scolded.

"Sorry, Mom."

"You kiss your mom with that mouth?" Caleb asked.

"Hey, shut up! She's your mom too, you know?" Sam growled.

"If I remember correctly," Dana said, "I'm everybody's mom here. Well, except your father's and Jo's."

"You are like a mother to me, though, Dana. You can call me your daughter if you want," Jo told her.

"Well, that's good to know. I never had a daughter, you know?"

"It's a pleasure," Jo commented.

Gavin led Letti in the door and looked around before closing it. He took in the sight that was going on and smiled.

_My family, _he thought.

"Smells good," he said.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Letti asked.

She was always trying to pitch in and help. She was Dana's favorite, although Bella was Rob's favorite.

"Yeah," Dana replied, hanging up the phone and holding out her arms to the girl, "Come over here and give me a hug."

Letti walked over to her and gave her a tight squeeze. When she stepped back, she looked around her- at people in the kitchen.

"I could really get used to this whole big family thing, you know?" she said.

"Hey now. Don't be getting any big ideas," Gavin told her.

"Who says there big," she teased, "Babies are small, you know?"

He gave his mother an accusing look.

"Hey, don't look at me," she told him, "I didn't even drop a hint."

"Hey, look at this!" Rob said, staring open- mouthed at the paper.

The food had just finished cooking, and everyone gathered around the table. They all stared down at the paper he had been reading. He pointed to an article. The headline read:

**NINE PEOPLE MISSING**

Below that, there was an article about a married couple that had been reported missing by their two children, one five and one eight. The others missing had been from a local college, all in their late teens or early twenties. They had all just disappeared-both cars and all-and no one had seen them since. They had only been missing for one day, but a search party was to be sent out to search for them in two days, if they didn't show up. The local police were calling around to neighbors, close friends, and relatives to see if they had seen or heard from the people since the alleged disappearances. They would try to keep the people posted on any information and leads they may get.

The boys looked around the table at each other, casting meaningful glances in one another's directions. This was big. Real big. Usually just a person or two at a time showed up missing, but nine. This was a sign of something terrible, and they all knew it. But, what they didn't know was who- or what- had done this. They sure planned on finding out though. They acted like it was nothing big and grab plates and piled the food high on their plates, before sitting down to scarf it down.

Once the boys finished and they had helped their parents with the all dishes, they met upstairs in the den. Tim and Sam called their girlfriends and told them to come over. They had something very important to discuss. Then, they each called their close friends. They only had one a piece, so that didn't take too long. When the others arrived, they invited them up to the den. Gavin led the meeting, since he was the oldest.

"Okay, look. We have something very important to discuss, as we each told you on the phone. So, please, work with us here. I'll try to get through with this as quick as I can, so we have plenty of time for questions, which I know you'll have plenty of by the time I'm finished. Also, please hold the questions until we're done explaining. Okay?"

Everyone nodded.

"Okay, now, let's start at the beginning. Remember all those supernatural creatures you were told about when you were little kids?" he started.

Everyone nodded again.

"Okay. Well, they're real. My brothers and me, we hunt them. I know this is hard to believe, but please work with me here. We have been hunting them together since Tim here was fifteen. Personally, I have been hunting them since I was ten. I hunted with our Uncle Vince. He lost a close friend to a werewolf, and he wanted my help. Now, we need your help. All of you. Something big is going down here, and we don't know what it is, but we need to find out. And we need to find out quick; because if we don't a lot of people could die- and I mean a lot. Understand?"

"Okay, you've got to be kidding me," Bo Grunge (Gavin's buddy), said.

"Does it look like I'm kidding," Gavin snapped.

"Chill, man," Tim told his brother, "You've got to remember this is all new news to them. Hot off the press. Let them digest it at their own pace."

"We don't have time for that, Tim, and you know it. People could be out there dying right now- as we speak."

"He's right," Caleb said.

"What do you need us to do?" Shawn Harris (Isaac's buddy) asked, ready to help.

"I knew I could count on you, man," Isaac commented.

"I'm here to serve," Shawn told him, "Especially if my best friend needs my help."

Everyone thought he looked like Josh Harnett when he was in Pearl Harbor, but he was twenty-five. He had always been there for Isaac whenever he needed him, no matter what. Now, he needed his help again, and there were other people's lives at stake here, too, so Shawn was more than eager to help. He would do everything he could to help the boys out. They were like brothers to him, and he would do whatever it took to help them.

"Now that's a buddy," Gavin said, "I'm glad to have your help, Shawn."

"Count me in," Walker (Sam's buddy) told Gavin, "I'll do whatever it takes."

"Sounds cool!" Billy (Jasper's buddy) added, "What do we get to do? Kill 'em?"

"All we need you guys to do is look up some stuff for us," Gavin told the group.

"How can I help, Gavin?" Letti asked, "I'll do anything you need me to."

"Do you guys have computer access? The internet would really help us out," Gavin told them.

"What kind of information do you need us to look up?" Lucas (Tim's buddy) asked curiously.

"Cattle deaths, disappearances, severe storms, deaths of people and their obituaries-violent or unusual deaths especially, information on these missing people, and anything else one of the guys in the group tells you."

Bella nodded and took out a notebook. She had Gavin repeat the things they needed to know and jotted them down. He sat down in a chair next to the coffee table and laid the paper in front of them. He looked around at his brothers. They were all waiting, tensely, for him to begin talking.

"Okay, nine people have gone missing in one day. Two were a married couple and the others were all college students in their late teens or early twenties. What do they have in common?" Gavin started.

"Why would they be reported missing if they have only been gone for one day? Couldn't they just be out a little longer than they had planned on?" Garret (Caleb's buddy) asked.

"Their cars were missing, too. No sign of them. Hey, Sam, turn on the TV will ya'."

Sam got up and turned on the TV. The news came on. The reporter was just finishing a statement about the governor.

"This just in," the reporter started.

Everyone turned his or her attention to the TV.

"The car of the O' Conner couple has been found. It was located at the bottom of Somerville Lake. The bodies of Craig and Stephanie O' Conner were found in the trunk of the car. There were large puncture wounds in their necks, but the police haven't released any more information about the victims."

"Large punctures in the bodies…" Gavin said slowly, thinking it over, "Boys, what do we know that would do that to a person?"

"Well, it would help narrow it down if we could find out if the puncture wounds were just on the neck or all over the bodies of the victims," Tim said, "Or if their hearts were still in their bodies."

"Well, not having it narrowed down, we still have vampires, werewolves, wendigos, hell hounds, black dogs, or really smart demons," Jasper commented.

"Or really pissed-off, psychotic people," Bo said, still not believing the whole supernatural-creatures-are-real thing.

"Oh, and what'd they use, Bo?" Gavin snarled, "Machetes?"

"Maybe," he replied, "Look, I don't know if I buy this whole these-things-are-real crap, okay?!"

"Yeah, well for the safety of these people and for your own skin, believe me on this one. Okay?"

Bo just gave him a skeptical look. He still wasn't buying it.

"Look, what we need is to be able to get in to see those bodies at the morgue," Isaac said, "But, that would require us to have badges or something."

"Even better," Sam said, "We could say we were medical students, training for the local hospital. That way, all six of us could get in."

"Yeah, and what doctor are we going to get to vouch for us?" Gavin asked.

"Well, my dad's a doctor," Bella said, "I may be able to pull a few strings for ya'."

"That would be really helpful, babe," Tim told her.

"I'll see what I can do for you guys," she told him, picking up her cell phone.

"Hey one of my friends Morty works at that morgue," Letti said, "I'll give him a call."

"Morty the mortician. How nice," Gavin commented.

"Does this mean you guys will be gone for a while?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah. Maybe," Gavin told him.

Letti cast him a distressed glance. She didn't want him to go-especially not when there was so much danger out there now. Gavin took Letti's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Across the room, Jo let out her breath slowly. Isaac had just got back. Now he was going to leave again? How was that fair? She didn't want to see him go, and she honestly didn't know if she could. Isaac looked down at her and placed an arm around her shoulders, in attempt to comfort her.

Bella shot Tim a pained look, and he could tell she was worried for him. He went to her and held her.

Sam pulled Becca close to him and breathed in the scent of her hair: mango and pomegranate. He kissed the side of her neck a couple times, before pulling back and getting back down to business.

Jasper looked around him. All of his brothers- except Caleb- had girlfriends. It was nice being a player, but it sucked when everyone else had someone to hold except him. Caleb was even getting some guts, so he might have a girlfriend soon, too.

"Alright," Bella said, hanging up, "Dad said he would vouch for you."

"And Morty said that he would give you guys a look at the bodies during his boss's lunch break," Letti told them.

"I want to go with you," Bella told Tim, "I'll help you every way I possibly can. I promise."

"Bella, do you realize how dangerous this is?" Tim asked her, "There's no way you're going with us! You couldn't ask that of me! I would never put you in danger, whether you wanted to be put in it or not. No, you're staying here! Where you'll be safe."

"I belong by your side, and you know it. There's no place I'd rather be. And you can't make me stay here. I will find a way to you, you know?"

"Bella, you could get killed out there!"

"What and you couldn't?! No, I'm coming, and that's that."

"Izabelle, you don't understand the dangers that are out there. You don't realize the things that could happen to you."

"Timothy Brandon Iverson, do you honestly believe that I can't take care of myself. You of all people should know I can. I want to be wherever you are."

"Bella, you're risking your life if you go out there with us."

"I know. And I'm willing to risk that for you, Tim."

"I'm going, too," Jo said, looking at Isaac.

"Baby, that's not a good idea. You'd be much safer here. Honestly."

"I don't think so. I feel safer being near you, and you know that."

"If they go, I'm going," Letti said.

"What is this, everybody bring their date to prom?! NO! None of you are going! You're safer here, every one of you. So, that's where you're staying- here. Do you hear me?! HERE!" Gavin declared.

"Gavin Iverson, you stay out of it!" Bella said, trying to put him in his place, "You have no right to tell me I can't be with my boyfriend! What are you anyway, the Travel Nazi, or something?"

Everyone jumped at her explosion. No one knew she could act that way, they'd never seen her so mad.

"I love my boyfriend with everything I have in me. You can't take him away from me. Where he goes, I go. And that's all there is to it. This doesn't include you. Got that?!"

Gavin looked at his brother.

"Put her in her place," Gavin told him, "She has no place being out there, and you know it. Women don't belong out there, not with what we know lurks out there. They'll get killed out there, and you know that, Tim. Bella, this is nothing personal. Honestly. I don't even want Letti out there! You girls belong here, and that's all there is to it."  
"Personally, I don't really care what you think, Gavin," Bella announced.

"It's like going out to a battlefield! Hell, it's like going to Iraq right now! Not to mention the fact that none of you are trained to deal with the kinds of creatures we might be up against here!"

"Then train us," Jo cut in.

"We don't have time for that, ladies! We've got to be getting out there and finding whatever it is that's causing all these problems. NOW!"

"Then, train us along the way, as we go along," Letti said standing up.

"I'd like to come, and it sounds like you guys could use the extra help," Billy spoke up.

"Me, too," Lucas added.

"Fine," Gavin said, "The rest of you, stay here. We'll be keeping in close tabs with you. Let us know if you find any information that may be valuable to us."

"Oh, sure, you'll let them go, but us you won't," Bella snarled.

"It's okay, Bella. The guys couldn't handle us anyway. We'd be nothing but a distraction to them," Letti said.

"Hey, whose side are you on, anyway?" Bella asked her, confused.

Letti walked over to her and placed an arm on her shoulder. Then, she leaned in to her ear and whispered, "Yours. I'm just using a little reverse psychology."

"Hey, I never said that-" Gavin started.

"But it's true," Letti interrupted, "You'd never be able to keep your thoughts off of us. You'd be worried about us all the time."

"Yeah, and think about all the rooms you'd have to get booked for motels," Jo said, catching on to Letti's scheme, "I mean, we'd be glad to pitch in with that, along with money for food or gas," she added the last part a little dramatically, "But, if you don't want us to go, it's pointless."

"Yeah, we'd always be in the way, and there would be too many people with us there," Becca commented.

"I would worry about you guys whether you were with us or here. I would at least be able to keep an eye on you, though, if you went with us," Gavin admitted.

"What was that, Gavin?" Bella asked.

"Fine, you girls can go, but you will help us. And every damn one of you will listen to me and do what I say, or you're getting sent back home. Got that? Now go pack. Any of you that have laptops and cell phones, bring them. We've got some work to do."

He headed for his bedroom, and then stopped.

"There are twelve of us. So, Letti, Tim, and Bella, you're all riding with me," he said, looking at Bella, "I don't want you out of my sight. Isaac, you take Jo, Billy, and Lucas. Sam, you take Becca, Jasper and Caleb. Boys," he added, looking at the remaining guys, "if you want to go, Bo, Garret, Walker, and Shawn you'll be riding together."

"Hey, man, I'm not going'," Bo said, angrily.

The rest agreed to come along.

_Well, _Gavin thought, _at least the travel plans are worked out. But that's the least of our problems right now. I wonder what we'll run into out there._


End file.
